Devices that hold fishing rods, or fishing rod devices that can be left unattended are known, and are typically used in ice fishing although such devices can be used in fishing in lakes or rivers from a shore or from in a boat.
Unattended fishing rod devices, especially those in ice fishing, typically have reels turn around a vertical axis and hang from the device, which usually hang from the device and sit in the water as the device is supported by the ice surrounding the fishing hole. The problems with this configuration are: a) the fishing line does not play out smoothly from the reel; b) the reel itself can freeze up and stop turning; and c) the reel cannot be manipulated to reel in the fishing line without lifting the device up, which is when the reel can freeze up.
These devices can also include a flag or “tip-up mechanism” that extends or pops up when a fish is caught on the line. These mechanisms may not always work properly, or at all.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a fishing apparatus that overcomes the shortcomings of the known prior art fishing devices.